Low-Level Laser Therapy for Body Sculpting Assessed

Study finds approach works over short-term but long-term maintenance needs further evaluation

By Jane Parry

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Low-level laser therapy can reduce the circumference of certain areas of the body by reducing the adipose tissue layer, according to a study in the December issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Robert F. Jackson, M.D., of River View Surgery Center in Marion, Ind., and colleagues conducted a study of 67 adults aged 18 to 65 years with a body mass index of 25 to 30 kg/m2 who were randomized to receive either noninvasive laser treatment or a sham treatment for two weeks.

The researchers found that participants in the treatment group had a 3.51 inch overall reduction in total circumference across three body areas, including waist (−0.98 inches), hip (−1.05 inches) and bilateral thigh (−0.65 inches), while subjects in the control group had a 0.684 inch overall reduction. However, two weeks after the procedure was completed, there was a 0.31 inch collective gain in circumference across all three sites in the treatment group.

"These data suggest that low-level laser therapy can reduce overall circumference measurements of specifically treated regions," the authors write. "Further, a study must be conducted to assess the long-term maintenance of the circumferential loss."

One author reported a financial relationship with Erchonia Medical Inc. and shares the patent with Erchonia for the test device utilized in the study.